by Mumbai: New Zealand did nothing wrong in this Test series against India but it was a tough outing for their left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. After the pace attack’s spectacular performance in the series opener in Bengaluru, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips showed their spin magic in the Pune Test.
Patel had match returns of 2/100 and 2/97, hardly the kind of performance one would expect from a player who was expected to be the tour’s top performer given his exploits during the team’s last visit to India.
Three years ago, Patel was an unknown commodity. But when you pick all 10 wickets in an innings, like he did against India at the Wankhede Stadium in December 2021, you immediately enjoy the limelight.
Patel etched his name in Test history when he became only the third bowler after England spinner Jim Laker and Anil Kumble to achieve the feat, with figures of 47.5-12-119-10. However, India won the game and won the series 1-0.
Back at the place where he experienced the biggest moment of his career, Patel hopes he can give his best again. With New Zealand looking for a rare series win, Patel needs a solid performance to end the tour on a high note. As a Mumbai native, his connection with the city has become even more special and his wife, parents and close relatives will be present at the game from Friday.
“Definitely emotional. I think it is always very special to be back in Mumbai and it is a place I also call home,” said Patel. “Having the opportunity to play here again is something very special. To be honest, after my 10-wicket haul, I wasn’t sure if I would get the opportunity to play here again later in my career. So I am very grateful that BCCI has scheduled a game here and I can be back home for a while.”
After training at Wankhede on Wednesday, the 36-year-old spinner predicted helpful conditions for spin. “I guess if you look at the wicket and have played here before, you know that the red ground is going to give you a bit more pace and a bit more bounce. It will definitely change, it’s just a matter of when and we’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out, whether it changes early on or a little later in the game.
“We won’t know until the first ball is bowled. So it’s just a matter of waiting and watching, but at the same time it’s also about being very, very clear about what your plans are on this particular surface. We are getting into good shape and preparing well, so it’s just a matter of getting out there and giving our best again,” said Patel.
On his last visit, Patel finished the two-Test series as the top wicket-taker with 17 scalps. His Wankhede match return was 14/225, the best figures by a visiting bowler in the country. The challenge for the spinner was to live up to the expectations that come with such a performance. The career growth he expected did not materialize. In fact, he was not selected for the next four Tests, which were played at home in adverse conditions.
New Zealand basically uses him as a subcontinent specialist. Although he hasn’t made an impression in this series, his overall record in Asia is good – 70 wickets in 15 Tests at 30.57. Last year, he was the second-highest wicket-taker in the two-Test series in Bangladesh with 14 scalps. In September, he took eight wickets in the first Test in Sri Lanka in Galle.
Although the Indian batsmen struggled with spin, in Pune it was left-armer Mitchell Santner who ran through the batting line-up. The Indian batters handled Patel well. He was an unknown commodity in 2021, while this time around batters were aware of his threat and were better prepared. Sarfaraz Khan took on powerful slog sweeps in the second innings in Bengaluru. With 100 runs in 18 overs, his confidence has certainly taken a hit.
At Wankhede he hopes for a turnaround.
“I think if you talk about the mood, we must be pretty happy to come to India and we know how difficult it is to win at home against India and win a series,” Patel said. “So it was really special to be able to do that and it certainly took a whole team effort to do it. We’ve played some very good cricket over the last few weeks and with this game in mind it’s really important that we start again and really forget what’s behind us and put it behind us so to speak so that we focus on that can handle the task that lies ahead of us.”
